The CVT itself has never been an issue. The two recalls were for a faulty wiring harness that damaged the transmission on some vehicles and the second was for faulty software that caused a failure of the chain guide in the transmission. The TR690 transmission in the Ascent has been in use by Subaru for over 13 years now. It’s not new.
Brake pads were changed to help with the issues. Folks also need to follow the written break in period that’s in the manual to reduce issues. The brake pads are very “sticky” which makes for nearly best in the industry for the class of vehicle.
My observation…which could be flawed…is that an oil leaks are more of an unusual issue rather than endemic to the Ascent.
